Sean Murphy DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (rib) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Justin Toscano. A rib injury suffered in spring training landed Murphy on the IL to begin the 2025 regular season, but barring a setback once he returns to game action this week on the farm, there's a chance that he could come off the IL when eligible this Friday, April 4. When Murphy does make it back to Atlanta, he could be eased into the starting catching duties, but when healthy, he's the team's unquestioned No. 1 backstop. Catching prospect Drake Baldwin has been serving as the Braves' primary catcher to open the year, with Chadwick Tromp backing him up. In his first three MLB games, Baldwin is just 1-for-11 at the plate with a walk and three strikeouts.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (ribs) is set to start a rehab assignment with High-A Rome on Friday. The 30-year-old has caught up to five innings so far during minor-league games. He has been sidelined since early March with a fractured rib and is eyeing a mid-April return. It's unclear how many rehab games/reps Murphy will need to play before he rejoins the Braves. Murphy struggled last season, slashing .193/.284/.352 with 10 home runs, 25 RBI, 19 runs, and a .636 OPS over 264 plate appearances in 2024. Drake Baldwin will continue to handle catching duties while Murphy is sidelined. Baldwin is off to a slow start, hitting .091 (1-for-11) to start the season, but has plenty of fantasy upside after slashing .298/.407/.484 with 12 home runs and 55 RBI over 72 games with Triple-A Gwinnett in 2024.

Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (rib) will miss the next four to six weeks due to a cracked left rib, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. As a result, catching prospect Drake Baldwin will have a chance to begin the 2025 regular season as the team's starting backstop. Chadwick Tromp is also on Atlanta's roster at the position, but Baldwin certainly offers much more upside offensively, both for the Braves and for fantasy managers in deeper leagues. The 30-year-old Murphy suffered the cracked rib on a hit by pitch in spring training last Friday, and he'll now be forced to open the season on the injured list. It's a tough break after the former A's catcher missed more than eight weeks of action last year after suffering an oblique strain on Opening Day. Murphy was never really able to bounce back when he returned, leaving fantasy managers now wondering if something similar will happen in 2025.